I have a problem with my 1982 240D which has 225k. I have had the car 5 years and have put 60k on it. It ran great and gave us dependable service. My problem started about a month ago when I tryed to start it, and it basically locked up. After removing the valve cover, I noted that the timing chain had broken. Luckily, the end of the chain had not cleared the valve sprocket (valves should be undamaged). Unluckily the other end dropped down into the engine and began to wrap itself around the crank sprocket. This knocked a sizable hole in the upper oil pan and broke 3 teeth on the crank sprocket (found during disassembly). After removing the sump pan, I realized that the engine would have to be removed in order to remove the old chain, repair the upper oil pan, and renew the timing chain and rails. The root cause of the failure appears to be a broken tension rail.

Well I thought about all of this for a few days and realizing that to have it professionally repaired would cost a more than its worth, I decided to tackle it myself, with only a Haynes Manual to assist me. To make a long story shorter, the repair of the engine went fairly smooth. I renewed the chain, rails, and sprocket and got the valve timing back per the Haynes Manual directions. I also put in a new set of glow plugs and replaced the 5 1/2 year old battery, which had begun to give problems. However, after reinstallation of the engine, it will not start. Thinking that the fuel injection pump timing may have gotten thrown off, I removed the injection pump this weekend, only to find that it was lined up perfectly per the Haynes Manual. I have not tried a compression check, as my gas engine compression tester wouldn't mate up, and it only goes to 300 pounds anyway. I did notice that during the engine work, there was considerable compression as I hand rotated the engine. I wanted to make sure the valve timing would return to the marks after a few rotations (they did).

What should I do next? Is my assessment of no valve damage justified, since the chain had not run past the valve sprocket? Should I obtain a compression tester? I could do an air run down test? What fittings do I need to do this? Or is there something else I have neglected? A nice Christmas present would be to get it running again - it is the best car I have ever owned.

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1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Sounds like you will be in for an unpleasant surprise when you pull that cylinder head. My opinion is that it would take some pretty good "lock-up" to make the crank sprocket strip three teeth - and that force is the piston and one or more valves trying to be in the same place at the same time.
As far as you can tell - were they the original chain guides?

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Jim

You would know if you had valve/piston interference -- the cam towers will break. Hard to miss the cam sticking up at a 20 degree angle...... That is what happened to my brothers 300D when the crank let go. Didn't bend any valves.

Most likely either your pump is 180 degrees out or you don't have fuel up there yet. It is is stiff to turn by hand, the compression is adequate if not good.

You can check for bent valves by making sure all the adjusters go up and down the same distance with the valve cover off.

Did you set the injection timing with a drip tube? If not, you will need to do so, or it is very likely you will not start. This will also tell you if the IP is 180 degrees out.

Make sure your hand pump is good, then bleed the fuel system -- crack the return line fitting on the fuel filter and pump until only fuel comes out, then bleed the pump -- there is a screw on top the will open and let you pump the air out.

Set the IP timing by the book -- fuel flow should stop with one drip a few seconds later at exactly 24 degrees before TDC on the compression stroke. This also, by the way, bleeds the pump nicely!

Make sure you don't have the banjo bolts reversed (inlet and outlet will fit the wrong hole, but you won't get any fuel to the IP).

When the IP if full, crack the injetion lines and the injectors and crank engine until no air comes out, only fuel. Messy, but speeds things up!

Make sure your glowplugs are working -- it won't start without them!

If you don't have white smoke, you don't have fuel delivery yet, if you get white smoke and it still won't start, something else is wrong!

Take the air cleaner off and have someone crank the engine by hand and listen for hissing -- if you get a distinct hissing on a compression stroke, you have a bent valve.

Best of luck, let us know how things go! It can take a while to get a diesel started again when you've had it apart!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

The lock up resulted when the leading end of the chain tried to wrap itself around the crank sprocket a second time. The double thickness of chain wouldn't clear the upper oil pan and everything stopped turning (thus the hole in the oil pan). I figure this also sheared the crank sprocket teeth. The trailing end of the chain was still on the cam sprocket.

I tried to set the start of delivery as per the Haynes Manual. Turned engine to 24 degrees, wired to full load, and added drip tube. However, I could never get the drip to continue, it always stopped after a minute or so, and no amount of adjusting changed the pattern. The book implies the drip should slow to one drip per second and continue indefinitely? It sounds like I didn't get all of the air out of the system and therefore the drip wouldn't continue? My plastic hand pump was leaking badly and I replaced with an after market pump. It may not have the bleed capability.

Thanks for the help...you've given me some ideas. I'll keep pecking away until I get it licked?

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Thanks ps - I stand corrected. I assumed the worst for a broken chain.

__________________
Jim

pfsred, I wanted to thank you for pointing out that the IP must be aligned at 24 degrees BTDC on the COMPRESSION stroke. I thought that I had checked that, but lo and behold, I took the oil cap off the valve cover and noted that I am on the EXHAUST stroke. Therefore the the IP is 180 degrees out.

What a dummy I am. I'll have to remove the IP again, and align. Hopefully, that will get me going. I'll report back with the results. May be this weekend before I complete.

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Won't work that way! I won't say I've never done anything like that, or never tried to remove a bolt by tightening it, either!

Make sure you don't have it right before you take it off -- if you KNOW you put it on on the exhaust, OK, but otherwise check on the compression stroke first, you may just have the timing off!

Fuel should flow until engine just reaches 24 BTDC, then drip once in about ten seconds, not more. Fairly sharp event, you won't miss it.

It is also possible that the timing mark on the pump is 180 out, too -- the splined gear goes on either way, and sometimes it's wrong after a rebuild. Set the engine to TDC on compression on #1, the mark on the spline on the IP to the mark in the corner of the housing (upper left, I think, but don't remember!), and stick it on the spline coupling to the timer. This should get you very close.

Don't forget to put the delivery valve back in the pump!

Set the timing, check your glowplugs (the resistor wire -- zigzag one -- will get HOT if they are working), and crack the injector lines at the injectors, then prime the lines. This takes a while, and the injectors won't inject until all the air is out.

When the lines are full of fuel (no more air bubbles when cranking), tighten the cap nuts, run the glowplugs and crank some more. Be prepared to charge the battery a couple times!

Keep at it, you are very close!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Okay....I got it running. IP timing was off. Used Haynes Manual drip method to time. Used the jewelers method described in other posts to refit pipes to injectors. Got it to fire up on the first battery charge...very rough at first then it smoothed out. I need to go over thoroughly tomorrow and check for leaks, tighten up motor mounts, injector pipe anti-vibration clamps, etc.

What a relief - I feared the worst. It's going to be a merrier Christmas now that I have it going again. A big thanks to psfred and engatwork for the help. I have learned a bunch from this forum and the thousands of posts.

Jerry

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold

Glad to help! I've had more practice than I'd really like to admit getting old cranky diesels started.

I wouldn't trade any of mine for a gasoline car!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Whew you sure dodged the bullet of this one, a big congratulations to you!!! And good job too!

Thanks to PSFred too, because his comments helped me a lot on my timing, especially when he said, "it is a fairly sharp event" which convinced me I didn't have the timing correct.
And when I did get it correct, I see what he means about the sharp event, it's a cinch with the right counsel!

And for what it's worth for anyone else, when the pressure you have created from the primer pump runs out, the drip should stop because of lack of pressure (duh). Another pump and you will get plenty in order to see the one drip/second thing.

Also, go to the dealer and get yourself one of the new Bosch primer pumps!!! They won't sell you anything else as it is an update. It is neat, because you just have push on the plunger against it's internal spring pressure and when you release, it pops right back up for another pump. It has a little dimple in the top of the plunger for your finger, or perhaps a broom handle

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Ed
1981 300CD (Benzina)
1968 250 S (Gina) 266,000 miles!
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (Guido)
1976 Jaguar XJS-saved a V-12 from the chevy curse, what a great engine!
1988 Cadillac Eldorado (better car than you might think!)
1988 Yamaha Venture (better than a Wing!)
1977 Suzuki GS750B
1976 Yamaha XS 650 (sold)
1991 Suzuki GSX1100G (Shafty Gixser)
1981 Yamaha VX920RH (Euro "Virago")
Solex Moped
1975 Dodge P/U camper


"Time spent in the company of a cat, a beer, and this forum, is not time wasted!"

I got the same primer pump that you are describing from Performance Products - $7.80. My old pump leaked as much as it pumped.

I really was fortunate that the chain broke during starting, rather than while running. The engine runs better than ever.

__________________
1976 240D
1987 560SL
2007 E320 Bluetec
1998 C280 (now son’s car)
1982 240D Manual - Sold